Ruth J. Simmons

Ruth J. Simmons is a member of the board of directors at Goldman Sachs.

"Dr. Simmons has been President of Brown University since July 2001. She was President of Smith College from 1995 to July 2001 and Vice Provost of Princeton University from 1992 to 1995. Simmons is a director of Pfizer Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc. and a trustee of the Carnegie Corporation. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society and the Council on Foreign Relations. She also serves on the Directors' Advisory Council of MetLife, Inc."

"Ruth J. Simmons was sworn in as the 18th president of Brown University on July 3, 2001. Under her leadership, Brown is making new investments to secure its standing as one of the world’s finest research universities.

"A French professor before entering university administration, President Simmons also holds an appointment as a professor of comparative literature and of Africana Studies at Brown. She graduated from Dillard University in New Orleans and completed her Ph.D. in Romance languages and literatures at Harvard. She served in various administrative roles at the University of Southern California, Princeton University, and Spelman College before becoming president of Smith College, the largest women’s college in the United States. At Smith, she launched a number of initiatives including an engineering program, the first at an American women’s college.

"Simmons is the recipient of many honors, including a Fulbright Fellowship, the 2001 President’s Award from the United Negro College Fund, the 2002 Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal, and the 2004 Eleanor Roosevelt Val-Kill Medal. She has been a featured speaker in many public venues, including the White House, the World Economic Forum, the National Press Club, the American Council on Education, and the Phi Beta Kappa Lecture at Harvard University. She is a member of the Howard University Board of Trustees, serves on the Board of Directors of Texas Instruments, and has been awarded numerous honorary degrees."

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